TORCH Antifa Conference 2015

This November 7th and 8th Antifa Philadelphia is proud to host the 2nd annual TORCH Antifascist Network conference. The TORCH Antifa network is comprised of autonomous Antifascist groups who share information and resources. We expose, oppose and confront Neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan, Anti-migrant and Anti-Choice groups and individuals, as well as other bigots and fascists.

For more info on our analysis of fascism and our points of unity, as well as contact info for our chapters, go to Torchantifa.org.

We do not believe that these groups pose a small problem. Thousands upon thousands of act of violence and discrimination are perpetrated in this country by people who belong to these organizations every year. Thousands more by people who may not hold formal membership from fear or laziness but have similar beliefs. These cases are isolated and minimized as much as possible because the media has no interest in vilifying sexists or white supremacists the way they do Muslims, Black people and environmentalists.

In reality groups like American Freedom Party, Blood and Honor USA and the KKK recruit, train and embolden the “lone wolf” shooters, bombers and bashers. They also profit from it in money and privilege while injecting their racist, sexist and homophobic analysis into the mainstream political dialogue and making any sort of better world impossible.

The tactics of TORCH and groups like us have proven effective time and time again for years all over the world for neutralizing our enemies organizing abilities and recruiting methods. Because Antifa represent another example of people power trumping state authority, specifically its desire to coddle racists and fascists, repression for Antifascists has become a normal expectation. This, partnered with the danger represented by the Fascists themselves, makes attending this conference all the more crucial.

We are calling on all Anti-Racists, Anti-Fascists and egalitarians to join us in Philadelphia this fall to Network and socialize and maybe get involved in TORCH.

This conference will include both a public and private portion. The public portion will be open to all interested (no Fascists, obviously).

The public section of the conference will take place the afternoon and evening of Saturday November 7th at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut Street) in West Philly. We are very excited about all public events.

The first event, starting at 2:00 PM on Saturday will be a panel discussion and Q&A. The subject of the talk is “Militant Anti-Fascism and the Black Lives Matter Movement” and will include several Anti-Fascists and Black Lives Matter activists discussing the role that Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists, both in and out of uniform, have played in opposing the Black Lives Matter movement and how Anti-Fascists can counter them effectively.

Immediately after the talk at 3:00 PM, we will be hosting a screening of “In Memory of Our Friend Ivan,” an hour-long documentary about the life and murder of Russian Anti-Fascist Ivan Khutorskoi who was assassinated in Moscow in 2009. The film was only recently released with English subtitles recently and has not been screened more than a handful of times in the U.S. After the film at 4:00pm we will be showing a short sneak preview of “No Fascist USA,” an upcoming documentary about the Anti-Fascist movement in the United States by a member of Antifa Philadelphia.

Both those events are free though we will be collecting donations for Anti-Fascists political prisoners and those facing legal repression for Anti-Fascist work.

We will then be kicking everyone out for a few hours to get ready for the Show of Unity that evening. Doors will re-open at 6:30. 5 bucks to get in which goes to the acts and Antifa prisoners.

Christopher Walking (Philly Math Punk)

Autocracy East (NJ Ska-Punk)

Leisure Muffin (Just listen. We don’t even know.)

Soul Glo (post screamo)

Novotore (Chicago Hardcore Hip-Hop)

Fuck SS (Philly Punk)

If you or your crew want to table the show e-mail us to set it up.